June 21...We got up at 6:00 this morning, finished packing all the bits and pieces and securing the mast and furlers. and waited for the guy so we could get fuel. He wasn't there by 10:00 am so we left. We can't get it here either but we have 3 days of travel in the tank, so we are good til the next "station".
We are at Waterford, above the Federal Lock. This is where the Champlain Canal separates from the Erie Canal. Here is where there is a 1,000 foot FREE dock, free showers and free wifi...who knew??? Rick went to find out about a grocery store and came back with a wifi code!! We are exhausted so we will stay here tonight right in front of the first of 75 locks. Last time it took 3 1/2 days to get to Lake Ontario. we'll see how we do this time.
We went to the grocery store and they let us bring the cartback with us. It's about a 10 block walk.No phone cards so no wifi hot spot. On the way we stopped for coffee at Paul and Don's Cafe: 2 burgers and fries, coffee and cheese cake for $12.00!!! And I don't need to cook supper!!
June 27...On the dock at Trenton Port Marina. It's a grey
☔☔ rainy day, of course, because yesterday's crossing was exceptional...can't have 2 good days in a row.
⛵
So tonight we will celebrate being home,legal,
🇨🇦️ and its our 48th anniversary today. 
🍾Not where and how we'd hoped to celebrate, so Barb, Joe, Ted & Jack...think about what you were doing 48 years ago today. Most of you were cleaning up around the farm house. Barb and I were getting our hair done...well, Barb was... the hairdresser thought she was the bride, so she looked great...mine looked like crap because they ran out of time...another bride coming in. Funny the little things you remember..
😜
We met some cool people while we waited in Oswego..an exuberant couple name Mark and Lezlie on Antonia from Texas...we will see them on and off during our trip home. They need a Canadian flag so we passed them one of ours on the crossing and they gave us a Texas flag.
Too tired to post pics right now but when we dig them out I will post...its free wifi here!
☔☔ rainy day, of course, because yesterday's crossing was exceptional...can't have 2 good days in a row.⛵So tonight we will celebrate being home,legal,
🇨🇦️ and its our 48th anniversary today. 🍾Not where and how we'd hoped to celebrate, so Barb, Joe, Ted & Jack...think about what you were doing 48 years ago today. Most of you were cleaning up around the farm house. Barb and I were getting our hair done...well, Barb was... the hairdresser thought she was the bride, so she looked great...mine looked like crap because they ran out of time...another bride coming in. Funny the little things you remember..😜We met some cool people while we waited in Oswego..an exuberant couple name Mark and Lezlie on Antonia from Texas...we will see them on and off during our trip home. They need a Canadian flag so we passed them one of ours on the crossing and they gave us a Texas flag.
Too tired to post pics right now but when we dig them out I will post...its free wifi here!
July 5 HELLO OWEN SOUND ! Missed the Wednesday night race by about a half hour!!
We arrived at 9:15 last night 12 hours from engine-on in Port Severn, through the lock to engine off in GS Marina. Georgian Bay was dead calm and warm! We had a bath out there!! No other boats around for miles!
Anybody want to buy some new Trent Severn charts?? Never going that way again!!! We'll sail down lakes Huron and Erie to get to the Erie Canal and south when we leave! July 7 ...We went out to the trailer yesterday to check on it. It was beautiful..clean, fresh with the smell of Fleecy sheets and mothballs {I like those smells] and empty... looking like a display model...We opened the windows, set up the awnings . Not a sign of mice or even spiders {Yay} I swept up the dead flies, pulled the sheets out, made up the bed, then we started putting stuff in it...now it looks like home ...our home ...full of crap!
Took the sails and rigging to to storage unit. Brother Jack helped with his truck.
Today we lift the mast off the deck and set it on stands so we can strip the wiring and lights Then we can check the waterline and start removing stuff to get her to float where she's supposed to.
I feel a little more centered now...being here, seeing family and getting a plan together. It doesn't seem like such an impossibility to get this done and head back down. All the way up I had this sinking feeling it was going to be our last trip, but barring extreme circumstances, we are going to try to be ready for next year.
So...hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work we go...
July 10...Okay that was way too easy!!!
We went into the marina this morning and had no trouble getting the spot where we wanted to be lifted out, as son as we talked to the GM. An hour later we were at the crane office and they said, "So, what are you doing right now?" By 1:30 pm we had a big tarp staked out; launched the dinghy; moved the boat into position and were resting on our blocks!!!
There's no power close by but we'll figure that out.
We went into the marina this morning and had no trouble getting the spot where we wanted to be lifted out, as son as we talked to the GM. An hour later we were at the crane office and they said, "So, what are you doing right now?" By 1:30 pm we had a big tarp staked out; launched the dinghy; moved the boat into position and were resting on our blocks!!!
There's no power close by but we'll figure that out.
As soon as she was visible above the horizon, we were visited by a number of boating friends from the yacht club and I was thoroughly chastised for not blogging enough so that everyone knew we were fine and on our way...See Julie, you were right !
So tomorrow we do the final empty and head up to the trailer. Rick starts work on Thursday and I will be working on the weekend. Life goes on!
